Lock arrangement for office furniture and the like



July 28, 1970 a. o. BUHRMASTER HTM. l3,521,937

LOCKING ARRANGEMENT FOR OFFICE FURNITURE AND THE LIKE Filed July 15, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 /NVENroRs BRUCEO. EUHR/MASTER .10H/v P ER/csoN ATT'YS.

July '28,1970 3,52L931 LOCKING ARRANGEMENT FOR OFFICE FURNITURE AND THE LIKE v I Filed July 15. 1968 B. 0.*BUHRMAST-ER ETN- 3 SheetSSheet 2 INVENTORS BRUCE O. BUHRMASTR P. ERIC SON July 28 1970 B. o. BUHRMASTER ET A1. 3,521,937

LOCKING ARRANGEMENT FOR OFFICE FURNITURE AND THE LIKE Filed July 15, 1968 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 n VvE/vrom 22a BRUCE 0. BUHRMASTER w JOHN R' ER/c oN BY%/M,@/fm,%

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United States Patent O 3,521,937 LOCK ARRANGEMENT FOR OFFICE FURNITURE AND THE LIKE Bruce O. Buhrmaster, Oswego, and John I. Ericson, St.

Charles, Ill., assignors to All-Steel Equipment Inc., a

corporation of Illinois Filed July 15, 1968, Ser. No. 744,782 Int. Cl. E051: 65/46 U.S. Cl. 312-217 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The disclosure relates to a lock filler and lock arrangement for oice furniture units such as desks, credenzas, and the like, arranged so that the office furniture unit can be made up of various possible combinations of matched subassemblies in the form of shelf and drawer space providing pedestals, center drawers, and the like, and yet provide a single lock to si-multaneously lock and unlock all such subassemblies for which locking is desired. The ller extends the length of the unit on the front side of same and includes a slide bar of comparable length that is operated by a single lock at the center of the unit. The filler and unit are arranged for ready connection to the slide bar of the latch devices of the respeetive subassemblies regardless of the order in which they may be present lengthwise of the unit.

This invention relates to office furniture, and more specifically, to a locking arrangement for oiiice furniture of the type in which a desk, credenza, or the like is made up from a selection of matched components including tops, legs, center `drawers and pedestals providing optional selections of drawer or shelving space, in which a single lock may be employed to effect latching of all subassemblies requiring locking, irrespective of the order in which they may be associated ina particular piece of furniture.

Abrahamson Pat. 3,125,387 discloses an oflice furniture arrangement of a general type to which the invention relates, wherein interchangeable standardized components and matching frame elements are provided that permit custom assembly of a selected arrangement of the com ponents available, to provide the desired desk, credenza, or the like. Included are drawer and shelf space providing components in the form of pedestals, as well as a center drawer construction, which, heretofore, have required separate locks where locking was desired, or a complex actuation arrangement where provision was made to actuate several locking devices simultaneously, which has tended to restrict the flexibility and versatility of the arrangements available, and unduly complicate the stocking of the various components that are to be available in terms of whether or not'a lock is to be a selected feature of a particular unit in question.

A principal object of this invention is to provide a locking arrangement for office furniture of this type in which a single lock will latch all components requiring locking, and which is arranged so that the latching arrangements of all such components may be readily connected for common locking irrespective of their location, lengthwise of a particular arrangement desired.

Another principal object of the invention is to provide a lock ller unit that is universally applicable to office furniture of the type indicated as a standard component, and which may or may not include a lock device at the option of the selector.

Other objects of the invention are to provide an office furniture lock arrangement that is readily adaptable to ice latch, through a single lock, drawer units as well as curtain and swinging doors of shelving units, to provide a lock arrangement that i-s compatible with custom selection of a wide variety of standardized oce furniture forming components, and to provide a lock arrangement of the type indicated that is inexpensive of manufacture, that is readily installed as a part of mass production system of assembling standardized office furniture components into selected combinations, and that is long-lived in use and reliable in operation.

Still other objects, uses, and advantages will be obvious or become apparent from consideration of the following detailed description of the application drawings in which like reference numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a double pedestal desk equipped with a lock device in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the basic desk components and framing elements embodied in the desk of FIG. 1, as well as the lock device incorporated therein;

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic perspective view illustrating the lock device and how it is associated with one of the drawer providing pedestals of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view substantially along line 4 4 0f FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a lock bracket that is associated with the lock device of FIG. 3;

F-IG. 6 is a fragmental perspective view illustrating the manner in which the lock device of this invention may be operably associated with a desk center drawer to lock same;

FIG. 7 is a view similar to that of FIG. 6 illustrating the manner lin which the lock device of this invention may be operably associated with a curtain door for locking same;

FIG. 8 is a view similar to that of FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrating the manner in which the lock device of this invention may be operably associated with swinging doors for locking same; and

FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of a credenza that includes associated pedestals that are respectively provided with a curtain drawer, pull drawers and swinging doors that are all effectively latched by the `lock device of this invention.

However, it is to be understood that the specific drawing illustrations provided are supplied primarily to comply with the requirements of the Patent Code, and that the invention may have other specific embodiments that are intended to be covered by the appended claims.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION FIGS. 1, 2 and 9 illustrate examples of several different oice furniture units which are made up from selected standardized and matched components that are arranged to provide maximum flexibility and versatility in the selections permitted, in accordance with the general thesis of said Abrahamson patent.

In the double pedestal desk 10 of FIG. 1, the basic components involved are a desk top 12, pedestals 14 and 16 at the left and right hand sides of the desk, a set of front and rear mounting channels 18 and 20 that are secured to the top 12 by suitable screws (not shown), and to which the forward and rearward ends of the respective pedestals 14 and 16 are secured by suitable fasteners (not shown) such as the swing nut fasteners 142 disclosed in said Abrahamson patent, and a set of support legs 22 which are affixed to the pedestals by suitable screws (not shown), whereby the top 12 and pedestals 14 and 16 are supported above a suitable supporting surface by legs 22.

Operably `associated with the desk 10, in accordance with this invention, is a standardized lock diller device or unit 24 comprising a filler channel or panel 26 provided with a lock indicated at 28 which operates a slide bar 30 that is Operably associated with the pedestal drawer locking devices indicated at 32 to simultaneously lock or unlock the drawers 34 that are part of the pedestal 14, and the drawers 36 and 38 that are part of the pedestal 16.

The unit shown in FIG. 9 is a credenza involving similar basic components which are so arranged that where the various office furniture units contemplated are of the same dimensions, such components are freely interchangeable with those indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2. The credenza 40 comprises top 42, pedestal 44 equipped with a curtain door 46, a pedestal 48 equipped with slide drawers 50, and a pedestal 52 equipped with swinging doors 54.

The credenza 40 also includes a set of forward and rearward mounting channels 18A and 20A that are secured to the top 40 and to the respective pedestals in the same manner as the corresponding components of desk 10, and a set of legs 22A which are similarly affixed to the respective pedestals 44 and 52 in a similar manner as is involved in the desk 10.

Operably associated with the credenza 40 is a lock filler device 24A that is identical to lock filler device 24 of FIGS. 1 and 2, and which is Operably associated with the llatching arrangements of doors 46 and 54 and drawers 50 to simultaneously lock and unlock same at the option of the credenza user by manipulating the single lock 28.

While it is understood that credenzas generally are of a shorter depth than desks, the point is that the components making up the credenza 40 and the components making up the desk if made the same ofiice unit length and width, are freely interchangeable, and for purposes of this description it will be assumed that this is true of the units 10 and 40. However, it should be understood that components similar to that shown in FIG. 9 can be made available in the size needed to be freely interchangeable with the corresponding cornponents of the desk 10 and vice versa. In any event, matched components of the type indicated are available for custom make up of desks to a particular customers option, as are similar components for such units as credenzas, bookcases, side mounted sections for L-type desks, etc. Lock filler devices 24 and 24A are intended to be interchangeably used with all of these and are arranged so that where locking is desired, it may be operated from a single conveniently located lock regardless of where the latches to be operated are positioned in the particular office furniture unit in question.

For the purpose of diagrammatically illustrating the general utility of the lock filler devices 24 and 24A, FIG. 3 illustrates the lock filler device 24 in operable association with the drawer latch devices 32 of FIG. 2, while FIG. 6 illustrates the same lock filler device 24 Operably associated with a latching arrangement 60 of a center drawer 62 (that may be applied to the desk 10 of FIGS. l and 2, for instance, in the manner illustrated in the said Abrahamson patent).

FIG. 7 shows the lock stiller device 24A of FIG. 9 Operably associated with latch device 64 of curtain door 46 (of pedestal unit 44). FIG. 8 illustrates the same lock filler device 24A associated with Ilatch devices 66 and 68 of the double doors 54 of shelving unit 52.

SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION The lock filler devices 24 and 24A are identical in nature, and where they are applicable to ofiice furniture units of the same length, they are freely interchangeable. They may be readily adapted for application to shorter or longer office furniture units by making them correspondingly shorter or longer in length.

The lock filler device 24 generally comprises a filler channel member 70 forming filler panel 26 and shaped to define an upright filler panel portion 72, rearwardly projecting flange portions 74 and 76, with the lower fiange portion 76 defining a trackway 78 for the slide bar 30 that is actuated by lock device 28.

Flange portion 76 of member 70 in defining the trackway 78 includes an offset portion 80 from which extends rearwardly thereof a mounting flange portion 82.

The slide bar 30 is in the form of angle member 84 including a horizontally disposed portion 86 and a vertically disposed portion 88, with the horizontally disposed portion 86 being formed with a plurality of openings 90 of identical size to receive attachment screws of the general type indicated in FIGS. 3 and 6 for operable incorporating same into a door or drawer latching arrangement, such as one of those illustrated.

As in accordance with this invention the door and drawer locking devices involved are all below the ofiice unit top, and the filler devices 24 and 24A are interposed between the ofiice unit top and the facilities. below same, the flange 76 is formed with correspondingly spaced elongated perforations 92 to accommodate the desired relative movement between the slide bar and the screws it carries relative to panel member 70.

A principal feature of this invention is that the panel member 70 and its slide bar 30 are arranged to permit ready connection, to the slide bar 30, of components forming a part of a door or drawer `latch device that is to be actuated by lock 28, and to permit maximum versatility of connection, it is contemplated that the openings 90 and 92 are to be spaced at uniform intervals along the lengths of the respective members 30 and 70 (every three inches in a commercial embodiment) between the ends thereof. In the showing of FIG. 3, several of the pairs of openings 90 and 92 are shown to have a different spacing arrangement for special purposes, and this is also a contemplated aspect of the invention to accommodate special assembly situations that reliect a particular customers requirements.

Openings 92 of slide bar 30 are elongated in configuration to accommodate the relative movement between slide bar member 30 and the ller panel member 70 that is obtained by operation of lock device 28.

The sliding movement of slide bar 30 is guided at one edge 94 thereof by the offset portion 80 of filler panel member 70, while the other edge 96 is guided by tabs 98 that are formed at either end of filler panel member 70 under which the respective ends 100 and 102 of the slide bar operate.

The lock device 28 generally comprises a generally channel shaped lock clip 104 (see FIG. 4) defining a web portion 106 and fiange portions 108 and 110, with the lock clip 104 having secured thereto in any suitable manner a conventional lock body 112 in which is Operably mounted a conventional lock barrel 114 including a head portion 116 that is aligned with opening 118 of filler panel 70 for application thereto of a suitable operating key (not shown) to operate lock barrel 114 in a conventional manner. Clip 104 is formed with spaced protuberances 119 to space its web 106- from panel portion 72 .to accommodate the lock barrel 114.

Slide bar 30 has affixed thereto as at 120` a Z shaped lock bracket 122 having one of its arms 124 affixed to the fiange 88 of slide bar 30 as by welding, and the other of its arms 126 notched as at 128 (see FIG. 5) for cooperation with the conventional operating stud 130 of lock barrel 114. As indicated in the drawings, the lock body 112 at its rearwardly extending portion 132 is slotted as at 134 to receive the arm 126 of lock bracket 122 for application of a stud 130 in the notch 128.

In the specific office furniture units illustrated, the pedestals are notched or recessed across their tops where indicated at 140 and 141 to receive the mounting channels 18 and 20 (or 18A and 20A, as the case may be) so that the tops 143 of the pedestals will be substantially flush with the respective tops 12 and 42, with the notches or recesses 140 having a configuration complementing the undersurface of ller panel member 70, the intention being that when the oflice furniture unit is assembled, the filler panel member 70 will be resting on the principal surfaces defining the notches or grooves 140 and the upper flange 74 of the filler panel member will be disposed in substantial juxtaposition with the oice unit top. It will thus be seen, therefore, that the grooves or notches 140 of the respecitve pedestals each comprise an upper abutment surface portion 142 against which the attachment flange portion 82 of filler panel 170 rests, and a lower abutment surface portion 144 against which the lower flange portion 76 of filler panel 70 rests.

In an assembled relation, the forward mounting channels 18 (or 18A) rest on top of the mounting :Harige 82 of diller panel 70. As indicated, the mounting channels 18 and 20 are secured to the desk top by appropriate screws applied to selected holes 150 thereof, and the channels are secured to the respective pedestals by fasteners of the type shown in said Abrahamson patent in which the threaded member associated with same pass through suitable openings 152 formed in the respective pedestals as well as suitable openings 154 formed in the mounting ange 82 of the filler panel member. Openings 154 are suitably spaced lengthwise of the respective devices 24 and 24A to provide the desired selectivity of attaching same to the otice furniture unit.

To operably associate the slide bar 30 lwith a drawer locking arrangement 32, the arrangement indicated in FIG. 3 is employed.

v The locking arrangement as illustrated generally comprises a vertically shiftable latch member 160 that is slidably mounted within the respective pedestals 14 and 16 for vertical sliding movement under the action of a bell crank 162 pivoted to the respective pedestals as at 164 and including an arm 166 that is received within a slot 168 of the member 160 and another arm 170 connected to a pull rod 172 that at its other end is connected to one arm 174 of a second bell crank 176 pivotally connected as at 178 to the underside of the respective pedestal recesses 140, and which has its second arm 180 positioned in alignment with an opening 182 of the respective pedestals through which a screw 184 carried by the slide bar 30 extends. In the form shown, the screw 184 extends downwardly from slide bar 30 through arm 180 for engagement by appropriate nut 186, but alternately screw 184 may extend from below pedestal opening 182 up through arm 180 for threaded engagement with bar 30.

The member 160 is notched at spaced points as at 188 to receive an abutment carried by the side of the file drawers 34, 36 and 38, the particular locking relation involved in the example illustrated being such that when the shoulder 190 of Ithe member 160 is disposed in front ofthe abutment carried by the drawer, withdrawal of the drawer is prohibited, while when member 160` is raised the amount provided by unlocking lock 28, the drawer abutment moves freely out through notch portion 192.

The desired vertical shifting movement of the member 160 that is required to unlock the file drawers is provided by arranging the lock device 28 so that when positione-d in its locking relation, the member 160 is disposed in the indicated locking position relative to the pedestal drawers wherein the drawer carried abutments wvill engage behind corners 194 of opening 188 at shoulders 190, thus preventing drawer withdrawal; by using the key to rotate the lock barrel counterclockwise relative to the lock body 112, the member 160 is raised to align the respective opening portions 192 with the drawer carried abutments by virtue of the slide bar 30 being shifted to the left of FIG. 3 to swing bell cranks 176 and 162 in a corresponding manner that will move bell crank arm 166 upwardly the required amount.

As indicated in FIG. l, Ithe member 160 may be formed with several of the openings 188 corresponding to the number of drawers employed in a particular pedestal 14 or 16. Ordinarily, the drawers are equipped with a latching arrangement 32 on either side thereof, but illustration of this is omitted to simplify the drawings.

In the showing of FIG. 6, the lock filler device 24 is shown operably associated with latch device 60 for center drawer 62. The center drawer 62 is omitted from the showing of FIGS. l and 2 as it is considered an optional feature, but may be applied thereto as part of a separate assembly in the manner suggested by the said Abrahamson patent so that it can be removed or attached to the desk subsequent to assembly of the desk where desired, without requiring major disassembly of the desk.

In the fragmental showing of FIG. 16, the front and side members 200 and 202 of the center drawer are shown for illustrative purposes only. Applied to a drawer front ange 204 that extends between the two drawer side members 202 is a latch plate 206 having tabs 208 at either end thereof which are inserted into correspondingly spaced slots 210 formed in the flange 204 on either side of a notch 212 formed in the plate 204. The latch plate 206 defines an L-shaped slot 214 which is positioned over the notch 212 of flange 204, with the plate 206 being disposed in the closed position of the drawer 62 so that its notch 214, and in particular, the longer portion 216 thereof, will be vertically aligned with the plane of the pairs of cooperating openings and 92 of the ller channel member 70 and slide bar 30. The latch plate 206 is positioned along the flange 204 so that in the unlocked position of the slide 4bar 30, as determined by the position of the lock barrel when the key can be withdrawn from lock 28 in its unlocked position, such that a screw 218 when applied to an opening 90 of the lock bar 30, will be in notch 214 and in alignment with its mouth 220, thereby permitting withdrawal or opening of the drawer 62. When the drawer 62 is replaced to its normally closed position, operation of the lock key to rotate the lock barrel in the opposite direction moves the slide bar 30 to the right of FIGS. 3 and 6 to move the head of screw 218 out of alignment with the mouth of latch plate groove 214 and thus lock the drawer 62 against withdrawal.

The showing of FIG. 7 illustrates the application of the lock filler device 24A for locking the curtain door 46 of pedestal 44, wherein the lock filler device is operably associated with the curtain door latch 64.

In the specific arrangement there illustrated, the curtain door 46 is shown as comprising a plurality of slats 230 pivotally interconnected in a conventional manner to provide a sliding curtain door of suitable construction, which usually operates over suitable sprockets diagrammatically illustrated at 232. Secured to the end element 230A is a latch plate 234 formed with an upstanding tongue 236 adapted to cooperate with a V-shaped plate 238 having one of its anges 240 secured to the slide bar 30` by spaced apart screws 242 threadedly received in both of same, and having its other flange 244 notched as at 246 to receive the tongue 236 of latch plate 234 when the slide bar 30 is disposed in its unlocking position and the drawer 46 is pulled down to its fully closed position, such that as the door 46 is moved to its final closed position, the tongue 236 passes through and outwarly of the notch 246.

When the latch bar 30 is moved by applying the key to lock 28 and moving the key lock barrel to the locked position, the slide bar 30 carries member 238 to the right of FIG. 7 to dispose the notch 246 beyond the path of movement of tongue 236 of latch plate 234 to thus lock the door 46 in its closed position.

The door 46 is unlocked by actuating the lock 28 to slide the slide bar 30 in the opposite direction, as now should be obvious.

In the showing of FIG. 8, each of the swinging doors 54 of the double door pedestal 52 is equipped with an angled latch plate 2511i having its vertical portion 252 aflixed to the door as by spot welding, and its horizontal portion 254 formed with an elongate slot 256 (which is aligned with the vertical plane of movement of the filler lock device openings 90 and 92), which slot 256 of each plate 250 is positioned so that a screw 258 applied to a slide bar opening 90 immediately above same will, in the unlocked position of the slide bar dispose the respective screws 258 in alignment with the mouth 260 of the respective latch plate slots 256. As should now be apparent, when the slide bar 30 is moved to the right of FIG. 8 to its locking position, the screws 258 will be disposed within the slots 256 of the respective latch plates 250, and conversely, when the slide bar 30 is moved to its unlocking position, screws 25S will be disposed outside the mouths 260 of the respective latch plate slots 256 so that the doors 54 can be swung to their open positions.

As indicated in the drawings, the upper portions of the pedestals of the credenza 40 are formed in the manner similar to that suggested for pedestals 14 and 16 of FIGS. 1 and 2 and same are notched or perforated as is necessary to permit cooperation between the indicated lock devices and the slide bar 30. Lock devices 24A are identical and can be interchanged as desired Where the office furniture unit lengths are similar.

The legs 22 and 22A are attached to the pedestals in any suitable and conventional manner, such as that shown in Ericson and Buhrmaster Pat. 3,183,049.

While several of the principal locking situations that the lock filler devices 24 and 24A may be associated with or become a part of have been illustrated, it can thus be seen that the options available to the designer are extensive indeed, as the latch bar 30 is available at any point along its length for attachment to a latch device. In all of the examples illustrated, the attachment is in the form of a simple screw that is applied to one of the openings 90 formed therein through a corresponding elongated opening 92 formed in the ller channel member ange 76. The actual locking arrangement employed for the drawers and doors involved may be of any suitable type that can be effectively operated by this simplified master locking arrangement.

Manifestly, the openings 90 and 92 may be formed at any desired spacing lengthwise of the devices 24 and 24A, staggered or otherwise, to accommodate special custom arrangements. Nevertheless, the three inch spacing indicated has been found to provide the selectivity desired for the indicated oce unit combinations that are available employing the subassemblies and framing elements that have been suggested.

While the location of the lock 28 lengthwise of the devices 24 and 24A is optional, the center location illustrated at the front of the desk or other office unit is preferred from the standpoint of convenience to the user whose working position will ordinarily be centrally located.

Where the desk or credenza is of the single pedestaltype, the lock filler devices are secured to the top through the mounting channels 18 and 20 (of 18A and 20A). Single drawers of the type suggested in FIG. 6 are applied to credenzas in a similar member and locked the same way.

The iiller panel 26 in addition to providing a housing for the oce furniture unit lock, provides a distinctive styling appearance in lling the void between the pedestals and the oce furniture unit top. Location of the lock in the filler panel rather than in the unit top avoids having to specially construct the top to accommodate locking. The forwardly facing surface of the portion 72 of filler panel 26 may be colored the same as the extension of the unit pedestals or alternately have a contrasting color or a plated nish, thus making an additional ilexible design choice available to the purchaser. Suitable slide panels may be applied between the legs 22 at the sides of the pedestals to cover the sides of the pedestals and the ends of lock filler devices 24 and 24A.

The foregoing description and the drawings are given merely to explain and illustrate our invention and the invention is not to be limited thereto, except insofar as the appended claims are so limited, since those skilled in the art who have our disclosure before them will be able to` make modications and variations therein without departing from the scope of the invention.

We claim:

1. A lock filler arrangement for application to office furniture units such as desks, credenzas, and the like that include one or more pedestals defining a compartment opening at the front of the desk or the like and a top extending the length of the desk or the like, said lock ller comprising:

an elongate ller panel interposed between the top and the pedestal and extending the length of the desk or the like,

said panel including a rearwardly projecting flange portion extending. the length thereof,

and means for securing said panel flange portion to the desk or the like,

said panel flange portion defining a trackway adapted to receive a movable member having a length approximately that of said panel,

said panel being formed to permit attachment to the movable member of latch operating components for locking compartments of the unit that are disposed at selected positions along the length of the desk.

2. In a lock lfiller arrangement for application to office furniture units such as desks, credenzas and the like that include one or more pedestals defining a compartment opening at the front of the desk or the like, the improvement wherein said lock filler arrangement comprises:

an elongate filler panel interposed between the top of the unit and the pedestal thereof and extending substantially the length thereof on the front side of the unit,

said panel having a lock mounted in same,

a slide bar carried by said panel rearwardly thereof,

said slide bar extending and being mounted for movement longitudinally of said panel and having a length that substantially spans the length of the unit,

said panel shielding said slide bar,

means for connecting said lock to said slide bar for shifting said slide bar longitudinally thereof on actuation of said lock, said panel and said slide bar being formed to permit attachment to said slide bar of latch operating components for locking compartments of the unit at selectable alternate positions along said desk front,

whereby said lock will simultaneously lock and unlock all the compartments of the unit.

3. In an oice furniture arrangement of the type in which a desired oice furniture unit may be made up from matched sets of components including tops, legs, center drawer subassemblies, pedestal subassemlblies providing optional selections of drawer or shelving space opening at the front of the unit, and means for securing selected of said components together to provide an olice furniture unit assembly that may include a top, legs and selected of said subassemblies, a lock ller arrangement therefor comprising:

an elongate ller panel adapted to be interposed between the top of the unit assembly and the pedestals of same at the front side of the assembly,

means for securing said panel to the assembly top, a

slide bar carried by said panel,

said slide bar extending longitudinally of said panel and being mounted for movement longitudinally of said panel, said panel having a lock mounted in same at the midportion of said assembly on the front side thereof,

means for connecting said lock to said slide bar for shifting said slide bar longitudinally thereof on actuation of said lock, said panel and said slide bar `being formed to permit attachment to said slide bar of latch operating components to lock against opening those of said subassemblies embodied in said unit assembly independent of their location longitudinally of the unit assembly, when said panel is incorporated therein,

whereby said lock will simultaneously lock and unlock said subassemblies of said unit assembly and said subassemblies may be located in said unit assembly at alternate positions when assembling said unit assembly.

4. An oice furniture unit assembly of the type made up from a selection of matched sets of oilice furniture components including tops, legs, center drawer subassemblies and pedestal subassemblies providing optional selections of drawer or shelving space opening at the front of the assembly, and means for securing selected of said components, said assembly comprising:

a top,

legs supporting the top,

one or more of said subassemblies secured to the top at selected positions along the length of the assembly,

each of said subassemblies including storage space dem'ng means opening at the front of said assembly and latch means for locking said subassemblies against being opened,

and a lock filler arrangement interposed between said subassemblies and said top,

said lock iiller arrangement comprising:

an elongate filler panel extending lengthwise of said assembly and substantially between the legs on the front side of said assembly,

a slide bar carried by said panel,

said slide bar extending longitudinally of said panel and being mounted for movement longitudinally of said panel,

said panel having a single lock mounted in same at the front side of said assembly,

means for connecting said lock to said slide bar for shifting said slide bar longitudinally thereof on actuation of said lock,

and means for operably connecting said latch means to said slide bar for simultaneously operating said latch means,

said connecting means including said slide bar being formed to provide a purchase on same at spaced points therealong for operably connecting said latch means to same at selected positions lengthwise of the assembly in accordance with the type and location of said subassembly in said assembly.

5. The assembly set forth in claim 4 wherein:

said panel includes a flange portion extending rear-l wardly thereof and deining a trackway on which said slide bar is mounted,

and means for securing said panel flange portion to the top of said assembly.

6. The assembly set forth in claim 5 wherein said lock comprises:

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,506,699' 8/1924 Watson 312-218 1,557,138 10/1925 Brunner 312-217 1,730,909 10/ 1929 Anderson 312-217 X 1,928,265 9/1933 Rand 312f-217 2,202,539 5/1940 Siegel S12-318 3,360,318 12/1967 Studinski 312-217 NILE C. BYERS, JR., Primary Examiner 

